


The Sense Of Smell

by mvernet



Series: The Five Senses [1]
Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Angst and Comfort, Episode Tag, Episode: s01e05 Cypher, First Kiss, M/M, Nipple Piercing Tribal Ritual, Sentinel Bingo, Series-The Five Senses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-27
Updated: 2018-02-27
Packaged: 2019-03-24 14:17:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13812936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mvernet/pseuds/mvernet
Summary: Blair seems to be doing well after his encounter with the serial killer, David Lash. But Jim senses something missing in Blair’s scent.Prompt: Loss Of InnocenceThe Sense Of SmellPart one of “The Five Senses” seriesSentinel Bingo 2018Slash CardFive Prompts, Five Senses, Five StoriesPart One: Loss of Innocence (Smell)Part Two: Fuck or Die (Touch)Part Three: Neighbors (Taste)Part Four: Forbidden Fruit (Sight)Part Five: Thunder (Hearing)Series: The Five Senses





	The Sense Of Smell

Part One  
The Sense Of Smell

Jim couldn’t remember the last time he felt so content. Lash was dead. He had Sandburg back safe and relatively sound. At least Blair seemed to be in a lighthearted mood after his encounter with the serial killer. Jim enjoyed Blair teasing him about being his Blessed Protector, but as soon those words came out of Blair's mouth, he knew it was true. The title filled him with an odd feeling that all was right with the world. At least his little corner of it.

Jim was highly amused by their elevator ride conversation about tattoos and nipple rings and wanted the banter to continue as they headed to Jim’s truck. He didn’t want Blair to drive after being drugged by Lash. Jim didn’t quite trust the doctor’s assessment that Blair would be fine in a few days as long as he rested and drank plenty of fluids. “Why get one nipple pierced, Chief? Did you come down from whatever you were on after the first one?”

“Jim, you know I don’t do drugs. Actually I do have both pierced or had both pierced. It happened at a manhood ceremony when I was eighteen. I was on a field trip with Eli Stoddard studying the lost Yaro tribe of Uruguay. It was really exciting because they were thought to have been wiped out by disease like many other tribes in the area. It meant the world to me that they allowed me to partake in their ceremony. I’m so proud to be part of their tribe. I feel like I’m keeping a whole culture alive in my spirit.”

They were at the truck now and Jim opened Blair’s door and helped him in. The fact that Blair didn’t make a comment, let Jim know he was still hurting from his ordeal. He couldn't help but take a sniff of Blairscent. His sweet, hot honeyed scent was tainted still by the drug, pain and fear, although not as strong as before. Jim sniffed again. Something was missing. Blair had a single note in his scent that made Jim want to wrap him in cotton wool and keep him away from all the evil in the world. That particular aroma reminded him of the elusive scent of new fallen snow. Fresh, elemental and pristine. If he had to give it a name he would call it innocence and Jim couldn’t find it. He clicked Blair’s seat belt for him and looked up into wide blue eyes. “Jim? You okay?”

Jim reached up and pulled out some of Blair’s curls that were trapped under the seat belt. He suddenly wanted to cradle that precious head. Bury himself in the candied sweetness that was Blair. He fought for control then reached for Blair’s cheek and gently patted it. “Sorry, Chief, ummm. I can still smell the drug in your system. It’s distracting me.”

“Oh. Wow. It’s been over twenty-four hours. I… Yeah, I still feel a little out of it. I don’t think it’s really hit me yet how… how close… shit.”

“Heeey, Chief. Don’t think about it alright? I want to hear the rest of your nipple piercing story.” Jim ruffled Blair’s hair and then hurried away to climb into the driver’s side.  
He started the truck.The gas fumes temporarily blocked the Blairscent and gave him a moment to calm his emotions . “So tell me, Chief.”

“It was so surreal. The Shaman gave me a tea that taste like pine bark. I don’t think it was hallucinogenic, more like a mild anesthetic. He painted my chest with symbols of the spirits worshiped by the Yaro. The ritualistic piercing itself was symbolic of the loss of innocence and the entry into manhood and into the tribe. Then he pierced my nipples with sharpened quills. He attached a sort of weight to the ends of the quills. I had to join in a ceremonial dance that continued until the quills worked themselves through my nipples and out the other side. The pain was almost unbearable, but somehow the dancing and chanting helped. Finally I was cleaned up and tortoise shell rings were put into the piercings. They wrapped me in furs and I slept near the fire under the Shaman and Eli’s watchful eyes.”

Jim had to keep stealing glances at Blair as he drove. It was as if he was there at the ceremony chanting and helping his future partner in his passage into manhood. He wondered what Blair would have smelled like at that age. Jim shook his head. “Damn, Chief. You are a badass. You know that?”

Blair chuckled. “Never been called that before. Anyway, One nipple got badly infected and I had to let it close up. I wanted to keep them both and I guess someday I’ll go to a piercing place and have it re-done. Eli bought me the nipple ring I wear. It’s surgical steel so it won’t cause me any problems. I still have the original rings. I’ll show them to you sometime. They are my treasures.”

“I’d love to see them. It meant so much to you Blair, if you want, I could arrange for my doctor to pierce your nipple again. Caro told me once that her mom took her to a doctor to have her ears pierced when she was sixteen. If we told him your story I’m sure he wouldn’t mind. Hell, I’ll throw in a new pair of rings.”

Jim waited then stole a glance at his friend. Blair was staring out the window of the truck. “Thanks, man. I think I’d like that.” Jim inhaled and was concerned to find another scent on his friend. The scent of tears.

“Chief? Are you okay?”

“Yeah. It’s just…”

“Blair. Listen to me. Whatever it is let me help you. I’m your Blessed Protector now, right?”

“I guess so.”

“Come on spill.”

“It’s just that I’m an Anthropologist. I study mankind. I love human beings. I really do. But Lash… I hate him, Jim. I never hated anyone before. Even when I was a kid, I could always see the big picture. I might have hated being teased, but I intrinsically understood that it was a part of life. I didn’t really hate the bullies, just their immature actions. But Lash. He was… he was bad, man. Evil. His own fucking father wanted to kill him…” Blair lost control as tears coursed down his cheek. “He killed his duck, man. His pet. How can you kill an innocent little creature… that you loved? How? He killed all those people. He almost killed me… and you.”

Jim pulled into a convenience store parking lot, put the truck in park and turned it off. He unbuckled his seat belt and then Blair’s. “Come here, Chief.” Blair moved into his arms and wound his arms around him as if Jim were his anchor on a raging sea. He buried his head in Jim’s jacket and sought out the strong heartbeat under the layers of cloth. Jim held on through the storm, comforting him with soft words and gentle caresses. 

Jim inhaled all that was Blair. He knew now that the missing scent was Blair’s true innocence. His belief in the good of all mankind. “Aw, Chief. I’m so sorry you were exposed to this. I’ve seen the worst of humanity most of my life, I don’t know when I lost my innocence or if I ever had any. But I’ve learned something from you, Blair. You have to take a chance on finding the good. You can’t give up the search. Like that greek guy with the lantern, looking for an honest man. You have to keep looking even when it’s dark.”

Jim placed a kiss on Blair’s head and continued to stroke his hair. The heavy sobs lightened and a small muffled voice said, “Diogenes.”

“What was that, Chief?”

“Diogenes, the cynic. He searched with a lantern for an honest man. Some scholars say he was on a fruitless search for an evolved human being.”

“That so, Chief.” 

Blair pushed himself away from Jim just enough to see his face. “Yeah. Diogenes would envy me.”

“Yeah, Chief? Why?” Jim touched Blair’s face wiping away his lingering tears with his thumb.

“Because I found him.” 

Jim breathed deeply as a new scent washed over him. It was clean and fresh with a perfume as subtle as as a crocus peeping out of a melting drift of snow. Reminding Jim of sunshine in early spring after a long cold winter. Leaning in to breathe more of the enticing scent, he felt Blair’s lips on his. The nearness of Blairscent overwhelming his other senses. Floating on the the waves of intoxicating aroma he entered the first safe zone-out he had ever had, stretching his sense of smell as far as he could surrounding himself with the essence of Blair. 

Blair’s scent had lost its innocence, but gained something more complex and valuable. The scent of love.


End file.
